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Leena Cooks and Cans: Caramelized Onion Jam…with a no-napping 2 month old

Leena Cooks and Cans: Caramelized Onion Jam...with a no napping 2 month old
My caramelized onion jam with hints of balsamic and rosemary. Did you just get a mouth boner? Cuz I sure did.

So, I’m pretty sure I’m crazy. No sane person would ever try to can, let alone can jam, with a 2 month old. Especially one that refuses to nap for more than 20 minutes at a time and eats every hour and a half. What can I say? I like to roll dangerously close to the line of insanity for the sake of caramelized onions at my reach all year round. Making them from scratch every time is a bitch.

Is the jam ridiculously delicious? Hell yeah!

Was the process ridiculously hard with a baby? Fuckin’ eh.

But lucky for you, I came away with a few pointers for you other psycho moms out there interested in canning with babies. It is possible! My tips and the recipe after the jump.

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Leena Cooks n Cans: Spicy Sweet Chile Jam for Tigress Can Jam October

Leena Cooks n Cans: Spicy Sweet Chile Jam for Tigress Can Jam October

My spicy-sweet chile jam--a little sweet with a kick of heat!

While living in Australia, I discovered a delicious food tradition in a local pub–an Asian-style sweet chili sauce. Aussies LOVE their sweet chili sauce on just about anything from chicken to burgers, but their favorite use is as a dip with sour cream and chives for potato wedges. The crispy potato gets coated in a layer of cooling sour cream followed by a light, slightly sweet, slightly spicy layer that is positively addicting. Three cities and one world-wide move later, and you will still find a bottle of Asian sweet chili sauce in my fridge, waiting for some fries or egg rolls.

One of my favorite parts about knowing how to cook is learning how to create the dishes and condiments I am obsessed with, so I can have a constant supply. Needless to say, I was HELLA excited about this month’s can jam focus–chile peppers! Check out more food porn and my spicy sweet chile jam recipe after the jump!

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Leena Cooks n Cans: Raspberry Jam

Leena Cooks n Cans: Raspberry Jam

The makings of a proper raspberry jam.

As I get older, one of the things I love most about being an adult is the ability to make the rules in your own life. Want to stay up all night playing video games? Do it. Pizza for breakfast? Why not! I particular enjoy making up holiday food traditions, ones I will force my future children to follow for years to come, whether they enjoy it or not.

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Leena Cooks n Cans: The Perfect BBQ Appetizer- Tomato Basil Jam

Leena Cooks n Cans: The Perfect BBQ Appetizer  Tomato Basil Jam

The makings of a great tomato basil jam. Makes a killer summer bbq appetizer!

Leena Cooks n Cans: The Perfect BBQ Appetizer  Tomato Basil Jam Welcome to the August Tigress Can Jam, topic: TOMATOES!!

By now, most of you know that I am participating in a year-long canning group hosted by Tigress over at Tigress in a Jam. The rules are simple. Each month, someone picks an ingredient, and everyone has a few weeks to create something with that ingredient, can it using a water bath canner, and post it on their blogs. Here’s the run down of the past seven months:

January: Citrus- I made blood orange port marmalade

February: Carrots- I made a gajar ki chutney with caramelized shallots

March: Alliums- I made an onion, apple ale relish

April: Herbs- I made a strawberry rhubarb rosemary jam

May: Rhubarb- I made a spiced rhubarb jam June:

Berries- I made my famous Chinese 5 spice pickled cherries

July: Cucurbits- I made 5 different pickles and relishes: spicy garlic dill cucumber slices, bread and butta cucumber slices, bbq zucchini relish, spicy garlic dill cucumber relish, and Indian cucumber relish

And here we are in August. I have been dying to make this since the herb challenge, but tomatoes weren’t in season back then. Now they are, and here it is: my tomato basil jam. Not only is it delicious on its own, but it makes the perfect easy bbq appetizer- just top a cracker with your favorite cheese (I used goat cheese and marinated mozzarella) and finish with the tomato basil jam. The combination of salty and sweet is ridiculously addictive and perfect to awaken the taste buds for the rest of a kick-ass bbq.

More food porn and the recipe after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

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